In this March 2, 2018, file photo, Baltimore Orioles' Manny Machado celebrates in the dugout after hitting a 3-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Damien Magnifico in the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game in Sarasota, Fla.(Photo: John Minchillo)

For longtime Orioles fans, waiting to see if and when Manny Machado would be traded was a familiar feeling.

Far too often, the franchise has left fans either scratching their heads at its choices or simply waiting for the owners to do, well, anything at all.

In this case, however, there's a definite silver lining, as even though the Orioles lost a sure-to-be Hall of Fame member in Machado, the five players they got in return show tremendous promise.

And let's face it, Machado, unfortunately, had to go. While he was with us, however, it was one heck of a great show.

Shorebirds fans lucky enough to see him while he was here (unfortunately I missed out) will remember his star shone bright, but for only a short time — he only played 38 games on Delmarva before being called up to the Big Show.

Once he reached Baltimore, Machado had to make a big shift, from shortstop to third base, with a huge presence looming over him — Orioles legend Brooks Robinson.

Though he only played for the Orioles until I was 7 years old, Robinson's amazing plays in the field are permanently etched in my brain. I had never seen a player with such grace in the field, and thought I might not again, until Machado arrived in Baltimore in 2012.

As Orioles fans well know, Machado always made difficult plays look routine, and just as important, he lived up to being the heir to Robinson on the field and off. He always carried himself with class, and just as important, more than a little swagger.

And of course, he always had the numbers to back that swagger up. For his Orioles career, he compiled a .283 average, with 977 hits, 162 home runs and 471 RBIs. I thought the homers number was higher, but that's still a whole lot of pop.

Not surprisingly, with the arrival of Machado (and of course, Buck Showalter), the Orioles returned to winning form in the past few seasons (with one glaring exception in 2018.) They made the American League Division Series in 2012 and 2014, and the American League Championship Series in 2014.

But now with Machado bound for Tinsel Town and Adam Jones and Zach Britton most likely following him out of Charm City, that era of winning is clearly over for now.

World Team outfielder Yusniel Diaz hit a pair of home runs in the All-Star Futures Game at Nationals Park.(Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)

For Machado, however, general manager Dan Duquette swung a surprisingly strong deal, landing hot Cuban prospect Yusniel Diaz, two (right-handed, of course) pitchers and two other promising players.

So, will Orioles Magic return to Birdland? Probably not anytime soon, but the beauty of baseball is things can change quickly (look no further than the Astros.) Keep hope alive!